High performance such printing apparatus are known which are able to print at high speed. Such high performance apparatus utilise high performance print heads, the heating elements of which are able to undergo heating when actuated, and subsequent cooling, more quickly than lower performance print heads which have longer heating/cooling cycle times. However, such high performance apparatus require high performance carrier ribbon to be used, so that the pixels of marking medium can be removed from the ribbon, i.e. “peeled” from the carrier ribbon, at lower temperatures compared to lower performance carrier ribbon.
Where there is an established supply chain, purchasers of such high performance printing apparatus can readily obtain supplies of such high performance carrier ribbon for use in high performance printing apparatus, but where there is an unreliable supply chain, as high performance printing apparatus cannot reliably use lower performance carrier ribbon, where only lower performance carrier ribbon can be obtained, the high performance printing apparatus cannot be used.
This problem is aggravated where printing apparatus of increasingly higher performance are being developed.
In different applications, different types of printing apparatus of the kind with which this invention is concerned, may be used. For example in an application where it is possible for the substrate to be stationary at a print station where the printing apparatus is located, a so called intermittent printer may be used.
In an intermittent printer, the print head is moved at a printing station relative to a stationary substrate and carrier ribbon with selected heating elements being heated in each of a plurality of pixel column positions along the carrier ribbon, to form an image. Typically the print head is moved towards and into contact with the carrier at the beginning of printing to urge the carrier ribbon towards the adjacent substrate, and the print head is moved away from the carrier and substrate at the end of printing. The print head is then returned to a start-of-printing position and the substrate is replaced with fresh substrate which is to be printed upon, and the carrier ribbon may be advanced to bring fresh carrier ribbon into position adjacent the print head for use in subsequent printing.
In an application where the substrate moves past the printing station continuously without stopping, a continuous printer typically is used.
In a continuous printer, the print head is stationary and as the substrate moves past the print head, during printing, carrier ribbon is moved past the print head, usually at about the same speed as the substrate. The heating elements of the print head are sequentially selectively energised so that pixels of marking medium are deposited onto the moving substrate.
Continuous printers are generally designed for the substrate to move past the print head in one direction, i.e. right to left, or left to right to match the direction in which the substrate is moved.
Particularly constructed intermittent printers may be used to print on continuously moving substrate, where the substrate speed is too great for the heating elements of a stationary print head to be heated and cooled fast enough in each column position, to reduce the relative speed between the substrate and the print head.
Thus conventionally for each different application, a printing apparatus of a particular configuration is required. Thus for a printing apparatus manufacturer, it is necessary to produce a wide range of printing apparatus to suit different applications. Where a user changes the configuration of a packaging line, for example where the printing apparatus is for use in a manufacturing and/or packaging environment, an existing printing apparatus may no longer be suitable in the re-configured environment, requiring the purchase of an alternative configuration of printing apparatus.